photo credit Marita Madeloni, Jean's daughter!
LISTEN to today's conversation with June Millington!
ABOUT JUNE MILLINGTON
June Millington has been making music since she was a child playing ukulele in her native Philippines. Having moved from Manila to California in the early sixties, she and her sister, bassist Jean, turned in their folk guitars for electric and formed a succession of all-girl bands. By ‘69 they were in Hollywood with their band Fanny, which was the first all women’s rock band to be signed to a major label that released an entire album (Reprise/Warner Brothers). Through five successful albums and extensive touring of Europe and North America, Fanny served notice that women could do more than simply sing, they could write and play passionate rock ‘n roll. As David Bowie said of the group in an interview with Rolling Stone:
“They were one of the finest fucking rock bands of their time ... They were extraordinary: They wrote everything, they played like motherfuckers ... They are as important as anyone else who’s ever been, ever ...” (RS, January 2000)
June with Addie, who was in the Svelts and Wild Honey
(which is the band that signed with Reprise) - rockin' it!
That was definitely the Svelts,
That was definitely the Svelts,
I'd bet '67. courtesy the IMA Living Archives
June with Geoff Emerick, the Beatles engineer, at Apple Studio
(where we recorded Fanny Hill).
He recently - and unexpectedly - passed away. courtesy the IMA Living Archives
He recently - and unexpectedly - passed away. courtesy the IMA Living Archives
June released her autobiography “Land of a Thousand Bridges: Island Girl in a Rock ‘n Roll World” in June of 2015 and has received a great deal of resulting press including articles in Pitchfork, MS Magazine, and Newsweek as well as on NPR. Millington continues to perform, write and record and teaches at IMA as well as colleges and universities around North America.
June and Jean continued to record and perform throughout the 80’s and 90’s – with Jean taking time off to raise her two children and June, together with her partner Ann Hackler, founding the Institute for the Musical Arts (IMA). The Institute is a teaching, performing and recording facility dedicated to supporting women and girls in music and music–related business. Millington is the Artistic Director of IMA, which, as part of its mission, runs summer rock PROGRAMS
for girls and young women. June and Jean’s latest CD, Play Like a Girl is for the girls.
for girls and young women. June and Jean’s latest CD, Play Like a Girl is for the girls.
Links:
Jean's fundraiser
To order autobiography
